Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Managing Your Project: Planning & Time Introductory Project Management Module

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Acknowledgment of Support The material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. DUE : “Implementing the BESTEAMS model of team development across the curriculum.” Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Additional support was provided by the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Morgan State University, the United States Naval Academy, and Howard University.

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Management Learning Objectives Develop a working knowledge of basic project planning and scheduling skills Learn how to use several basic tools Work breakdown structures Resource allocation Gantt charts

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Appreciating Project Management Studies report that nearly half of all projects initiated are not completed Engineering projects are multifaceted– they consist of complex interdependent tasks

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS A project has a single objective that must be accomplished through the completion of tasks that are unique and interrelated Projects are completed through the deployment of resources Projects have scopes, schedules, and costs and are accomplished within specific deadlines, budgets, and according to specification What is a Project?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS In the beginning, we know we can manage our projects, but before long…. Time Money

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Activity Identify a class project to use as we move through this lesson What is your project name? What is the main goal of your team’s project?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Phases of Project Management Define the project’s scopeDefine the project’s scope Develop the project’s planDevelop the project’s plan Implement the plan & control the processImplement the plan & control the process Close out the projectClose out the project

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Develop the Project’s Plan 3 Break Down Project Tasks (WBS) Time Estimation & Dependencies Determine Resource Needs Develop Gantt Chart Review & adjust

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS What is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)? A hierarchical representation of activities It starts with the major project areas to be accomplished It breaks the project areas into actionable pieces of work, segmenting elements into appropriate sublevels

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS WBS – Activity Levels Level 1 – Identify major objective areas or categories Level 2 – Begin to divide the areas into sub- tasks Level 3 – Continue to break down the sub- tasks into actionable items The lowest level associated with a branch in the hierarchy is referred to as a “work package” # of levels depends on project complexity

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS WBS: Crane Example Level 1 Activities 1. Design support columns 2. Analyze fasteners 3. Design trolley hoist 4. Design beams and crane span 5. Produce final report

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS WBS: Crane Example (cont’d) 1. Design support columns (Level 1) 1.1 Select final material (Level 2) Design for compression (Level 3) Design for buckling (Level 3) Calculate deformation (Level 3)

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS WBS: Crane Example (cont’d) 6. Produce the final report 6.1 Write text 6.2 Produce drawings 6.3 Exhibit simple calculations 7. Perform analysis of class model crane

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS How much detail do you need? 1,3 Does the WBS contain enough detail to evaluate progress? Do you have clear accountability for each work package? Are there start & end events? Can you easily estimate time & cost? Is there a clearly defined deliverable?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Activity Create a work breakdown structure for your project Crane - Design runway rail - Select material

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Time Duration Managing a project requires awareness of two time frames 1. The amount of effort a task will take (in time), e.g., 3 hours to write a report 2. The calendar span over which the activity will occur, e.g., the report will be done within a week

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Time Estimation If feasible, have person responsible make the estimate Should take into account the resources needed for the activity Do not overestimate to account for everything that can go wrong Keep in mind the concept of self- fulfilling prophecy

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Uncertainty in Time Estimates Some activities will take longer and others will go faster than expected Sources of uncertainty: Varying knowledge and skills Individual difference in approaching work Mistakes or misunderstandings Unexpected events (!!)

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Activity For each work package, estimate the time duration in days Determine then determine the time duration of each higher level activity

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Identifying Resources 1,3 To accomplish each activity identified in the WBS requires the use of resources: Personnel (who, how many, their skills) Space (meeting location, lab facilities) Equipment (rent, own, purchase, how long needed) Money (budget limitations)

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Assigning Resources Assign resources to the appropriate tasks (personnel, space, equipment, money) Be realistic– no one can be in two places at one time

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Activity What are the resources needed for each task in the WBS?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Dependencies Dependencies are the relationships between activities “Finish to Start” example Predecessor Task: A Successor Task: B Arrow head indicates dependency relationship: Task B cannot begin until Task A is complete AB Examples of other dependency types: -start to finish -start to start -finish to finish

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Activity Number all tasks in your WBS Identify the dependencies between each task Notice at what level you are identifying the dependency. How does the dependency affect higher or lower level activities?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS The Gantt Chart: A The Gantt Chart: A Visual Scheduling Tool Graphically represents WBS information Shows dependencies between tasks, time duration, personnel, and other resource allocations Tracks progress towards project completion

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Building a Gantt Chart - Axes List all tasks and milestones from the WBS along the vertical axis List time frame along the horizontal axis Tasks: Design support columns Select final material Design… Time Frame: day 1 day 2 day 3

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Building a Gantt Chart— Dependencies Depict dependencies between activities using arrows For example: Design for compression cannot begin until materials are chosen Time Frame: day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day 5 day 6 Design support columns Select final material Design for compression Design for buckling Calculate deformation Submit selection

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Activity Based on the WBS (tasks, durations, and dependencies), create a Gantt Chart

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Next Step: Implement the Plan After the plan is complete, everyone should know who is responsible for each activity and when each task must be complete to ensure project success

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Responsibility Matrix Creates accountability by assigning each task to a person TaskJoeMaryRenee Activity 1x Activity 2x Activity 3x

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Project Planning Summary Create WBS to identify activities Estimate time durations Identify resource needs Note dependencies between tasks Schedule activities using a Gantt chart Review plan until you reach agreement Put plan into action!

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Managing Your Project: Planning & Time References 1. Van Aken, S. (2001) University Leadership Development, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 2. Gido, J., & Clements, J.P. (1999). Successful project management. South-Western College Publishing Weiss, J.W., and Wysocki, R.K. (1992) 5-Phase Project Management: A Practical Planning and Implementation Guide. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Managing Your Projects: Time What does it take to create something bigger than yourself?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Learning Objectives Understand the need for tracking personal time management Conceptualize the difference between managing commitments and managing time

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS What characterizes a project? Comprised of orchestrated activities performed by people to bring something into existence that would not occur naturally Possesses creation and causation Calls people to action

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS How We Think Projects Evolve…

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS When Reality Demonstrates… Time Action Goal Start

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Methods to Track Time Time management books or schedulers PDAs A piece of paper to write things down Memory What problems do you have in the area of time management? What do you want to get out of this conversation on time management?

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS History of Time How was time measured? Began with light and dark Evolved to Solar and Lunar calendars Humans developed mechanical clocks

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Nature of Time Q: Is time like a sail boat or a motor boat? A: It’s more like a sail boat in a shifting wind --Tennis example --Vacation Example

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS What Do You Manage? You do not manage time You manage your commitments

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Managing Commitments 1. Determine time 2. Specify place 3. Identify the appropriate resources

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Structures for Time Management Where is the last place you should put your commitments? In your memory Why? How many things can you keep in your memory? What do you remember when you are upset? How long does it take to get upset in your normal day? Need some structure outside of your memory in which commitments can exist

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Commitment Management Exercise List ALL of the commitments you have for the next week. (Look in all areas of your life) What to track? to-dos/meetings/calls Projects/themes Now put everything into a schedule with time/place/resources

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Open Item List DateWhatWhoResourcesDate Due

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Weekly Schedule SunMonTueWedThFrSat 7AM 9AM 11AM 1PM 3PM 5PM 7PM

Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS Planning Time Windows short-term medium-term long-term Each Window has a different level of clarity and detail Missing any one of these alters how you act Working within these windows will influence engineering project teams